Safety means for receptacles



April r6, 1948. R. F. HATALA Erm. 2,439,132

SAFETY MEANS FOR RECEPTACLES Filed June 2l. 1944 Patented Apr. 6, 1948 Rawlorld: Franciscliatala: andwArthur; Streatorflll, assianors tosAnthonyrQQmna Streator, Ill., a,uorporatiomoIllinoisA` V Applicationiune-lzi, 1944,;seria1 No; 541,452

rIhis` invention :.relatesi-to. a iire protection meanst .In the particular form `here-.shown itis applied tofaawasher in which' the washing fluid maybe inammable .and in whichfit is desirable to., provide-iaautomaticr means for: closing a` door or alxeover shouldiire occur, and: one ofthe olo- ,iectsxofathe invention is, therefore, tomproduce such an'. automatic:closureoperatingf means:` for use in connection Witha washer. The-.invention is not, however, limited'- to this use and` may-be embodied Vmaal-structure :for any other purpose whereiitfis desirableto providean automatic control' 011- operating means for a closure-l l Another Objectistolprovide in connection with such'` a meansfa heat responsivel part'which; when the temperatur-arises abovea-Hpredetermined limit; A will operate :automatically to accomplish closingi Otherl objectsl will appear from-tirne to time throughout the speciiication` and` claims.`

Theinvention-isillustrated' moraor less diagrammatically in= the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1t is a side elevation of one formof the device infpositionona washer, parts of which l are omitted, broken awayand insection;

Figure Zisan elevation ofa portion of a was-her with-the` closing;A controlling meansshown in elevation;l

Figuref i'sa\side elevation xon'an en-largedscale of the controlling means shownin Figures I and 2; and l Figureft is a plan viewon a further enlarged scale offtheheat-responsive member.

Like .parts are indicatedby likecharacters I at 8,.to;fa:similar,be1llcrankxmember 9.` @nera-rm 2 of this:irlelfrlbe-r mayfin` one position of: actust ment,- rest upon an abutmentor supporti l0; which, in the `forrm here showm ,is fixed; onthe base memberz` The bel-lcrankmembers. Sand; sfare provided; withhook; orengafg'na parts: .t l1 and; t2.

7` Claims. (Cl. zeef-sat f 2 Y, A.. heat-responsive iscnormallyv mounted betweeen?V the, ybell` 'crank membersl `and Nengaged upon itheuhook; orzattachingv .means It and; t2;

As shovmy particutarlwinl. Figure.. 4,7.thee link |43 is provided with perforations Idawhich: may engagez-themembers H and lf2.. zhviously, instead of perforations,.-notehes,:projections or enlargements` might: ha used,-= so: long` asosome.A shapeor means-sv provided whereby the linin` t3 may vbe engaged, withzorseoured tothe` freie endsvof the hellgoranksfandrw t Iidesired; the link-may be out: away;n as; atJi, tareduceitstthicknessa The link; preferablvff mada ofzsome readily ini'larnn mable; materiah such: as Celluloid or Lot-her cellulose materialtxlt maycpf course, be madegcf metazlffzor athenI material :having .a Vlow meltingr point'.r Experiencehas shownthat acellulosefor Celluloidglink 4'which responds at a1 lowerl temper, ature than will most readily fusiblemeta1s;or other materia-lsisf preferable,

Sirlfe': hit `fis 1, impl?. :tof have; the closure: oi thisfin ation; operateppromptlv at `the very` `beginning? i to haya-fthe heatsresponsive link `formedofl a -materiar which will-netmerely' respond tot-heat,

but; lwhichyyi-sEcomIm1t-igh1e1 and `lhence, once the heatingieetfhasz commenced, will carry on until destro icm; ForA thisf purpose` an inammable member isu-sefulf,A and-'the cellulselink suggested is sun'ioisntliafinnammabley, once-it has beenignited-,nto continue burningluntil itThas beende- Stroyed'wf Y the closure;,-mayunder some conditions be arrangedstdclgqse by-gravity alone, it is often desirable;;tof,V accelerate; the closing and to Lmake it more,:ertaina ofgvoccurrence. For this purpose loadedifneanfs,t are, desirable-. In the parform here showinthese ,include a bolt it l -l-isfsecuredatone end either to themem-ber I2 or to some other part Xed in relation to the free end of the bell crank 9. A stopl'l.Which may -`includa alock nut and awasheris xed on tha opposite-end-oi theqbolt.` t6, andaspring, [3 is positionedabout-the holt and bears-at one end against the'stop, Il andtat, its-other end` upon Van abutmentor stop, lil-,whichisfpart of or supported fromftlae lease:rnenfiber3.` By this-construction tadofso. accelerate the closinglof the closure. Although wfef have. shown an.. operative form of our invention, itiwilleberecognized that man-y ,-adetwithout departing trom the entiA showingis there- 1; ,Sensafdiasrammatie 1 excessiveytenoperatures, it isy desirable| ng; is.; Vuri-der4 ,connoression-.v and Y will, when The exact shape of the bell crank members 5 and 9 is not essential to the invention and, in fact, other members might be used so long as they serve to engage the fusible inflammable or other heat responsive link and so long as they serve to hold the closure in the raised position until destruction of the link I3. The invention l is therefore not limited to the, particular linkage or lever system shown.

The use and operation of this invention are as follows:

Under normal conditions the closure is intended to be held open and it is so shown in Figures 1 and 2. As thus shown, a link I3y is fixed between the free ends of the bell cranks 5 and 9 and prevents relative pivotal or other movement of these bell cranks. The lower end of the bell crankl 9 is seated upon or rested upon the abutment Ill. With the parts in this position, the spring is under compression and tends to close the closure. HOW- ever, the closing movement is resisted by the two bell `cranks which act as a single solid member so long as the link is'intact. The two bell cranks and the link, thus acting as a solid member, hold the closrure open.

When temperatures above a predetermined point o'ccur in or near the washer, the link I3 is fused or burned. As above mentioned, it may be made of combustible material and will then burn rapidly and destruction will be complete. Whatever thematerial of the link, once it has been destroyed it no longer prevents relative movement of the bell cranks 5 and 9. The spring I8 is then free to pull the vcrank 9 downwardly and this crank rotates about the abutment I and thus pulls the Vbell crank 9 to the left from the position shown'in Figure 1, thus overbalancing the entire closure and causing it to move at once to the closed position.

' After the lire or other excessive heat in or near the washer is removed, the closure is raised manually, a new link is put in place between the members and 9, and the parts are restored to the position shown in Figures 1 and 2. The means of attaching the link to the levers 5 and 9 is preferably such that the link may be easily put in place or removed. At the end of work o-r when the washer is to be put out of operation, it is generally desirable to lower the lclosure and this can be done by merely removing the link and permitting the closure to move to the closed position. For this purpose ordinarily the operator will pull up on the bolt I6 to reduce the tension on the link I3. He can then remove the link and lower the closure to the closed position. Similarly, when the washer is to be put into use again, the closure is raised and a new link is inserted in the manner described above for the operation which occurs after the link has been destroyed by excessive tempera-v We claim:

1. In combination, a base member, a closure mounted thereon for relative movement therewith, and means forrcontrolling said'movement comprising two members, one of said members hinged-to said closure, the said members being hinged together, an abutment Xed on said base member, one of said members being adapted to rest upon said abutment, and a heat responsive link positioned between and'engaging each or" said members, and when in position holding them against relative movement, the two members and said link, when so assembled, comprising an assembly effective to hold the closure against Amo-vement, theV said members being vfreed forl relative 4 hinge movement upon the destruction of said heat resposive link, and means biased to move one of said members and thereby to tilt the other and to close the closure.

2. In combination, a base member, a closur mounted thereon for relative movement therewith, and means for controlling said movement comprising two bell crankmembers, one of said members hinged to said closure, the two bell crank members being hinged together, an abutment i'lXed on said base member, one of said bell crank members being adapted to rest upon said abutment, and 'a heat responsive link positioned between and engaging each of said bell crank members, and when in position holding them against relative movement, the two bell crank members and said link, when so assembled, comprising an assembly effective to hold the closure against movement, the bell prank members being freed for relative movement upon the destruction of said heat responsive member, and means biased to 4move one of said bell -crank members and thereby member positioned between and engaging each of said bell crank members, and when in position adapted to hold them against relative movement, the'two bell crank members and said link, when so assembled, comprising an assembly eiective to hold the closure against movement, the'bell crank members being freed for relative movement upon the destruction ofA said heat 'responsive member, and means Vbiased to move one of said bell crank members and thereby'to tilt the other and to close the closure.

4,'In combination, a base member, a closure mounted thereon for relativemovement therewith, and means for controlling said movement comprising twomembers, one of said members hinged to said closure, the two members being hinged together, an abutment, the other of said members being adapted to rest uponl said abutment xed on said basermember, and a heat responsive member positioned between and engaging each of said members, and when in position adapted to hold them against relative movement,

sembled, comprising an assembly effective to hold the closure against movement, the members being freed for relative movement upon the destruction of said heat responsive member, and spring'loaded means biased to move one of said members and thereby to tilt the other and lto close the closure.

5. In combination, a basemember, a closure mounted thereon for relative movement therewith, 'and means for controlling said movement comprising two parts', oneY of said parts hinged-to said closure, -the two parts being hinged together, an abutment fixed on said base member, the other of said parts being adapted to rest upon said abutment, and an inflammable link positioned between and engaging each of said parts, and when in position adapted to hold them against relative movement, the two parts and said link, when so assembled, comprising an assembly effective to hold the closure against movement, the parts be@I ing freed for relative movement upon the destruction of said iniiammable member, and means biased to move one of said parts and thereby to move the other and to close the closure.

6. In combination. a base, a closure pivotally mounted thereon for relative movement therewith, and means for holding said closure in the open position, said means comprising a pair of members pivoted together, and one of said members pivoted on said closure at a point remote from the pivotal connection between the base and closure, an abutment Xed on said base, the other pivoted member adapted to contact said abutment at a point spaced from that at which it is pivoted to said other member, a rigid inflammable part connected to each of said members away from the point at which they are pivoted together and holding them against relative movement, said two members and said part forming a rigid means holding said closure raised, and spring loaded means tending at all times to close said closure, said members forming, with the inflammable part, a stop to prevent closing While the iniiammable part is intact, the said members being freed for relative movement upon the destruction of said part, the spring loaded means thereupon being ei'ective to tilt one of said parts, which in turn moves the other of said parts and closes the closure.

7. In combination, a base, a closure mounted thereon for relative movement therewith. spring loaded means tending at al1 times to move said closure to close it against said base, and means for preventing said movement, said means including a pair of bell crank members pivoted together, one of said members being pivoted also upon said closure, the other being seated upon said base, and an iniiammable link holding said bell cranks against relative movement while it is intact, said spring loaded means being connected to the bell crank which Vis seated upon said base at a point away from the point of contact of said bell crank with said base, and adapted when said link has been destroyed to cause said bell crank to pivot about its point of contact with said base and thereby to move said other bell crank and to carry with it said closure.

RAYMOND FRANCIS HATALA.

ARTHUR KIMBER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

